First Place
Best Choreography
Best Costumes
Most Original Selection ("Henry Ford")
Best Male Stage Presence (Andrew Fleming)
Best Female Stage Presence (Elaina Calisi)
To my Carroll peeps, give it everything you've got today!!!! Great competition with truly awesome groups top-to-bottom. All you can do is control your show, tell your story, pour your heart onto the stage, and leave nothing undone. Please know how proud Tara and I are of what you've accomplished this year. You are tremendous blessings to the 2 of us, and we are honored to be your choreographers. COMPLETE THE JOURNEY WITH EVERYTHING YOU HAVE!!!
Also, to the wonderful folks at FAME Events, HEARTFELT GRATITUDE FOR THE MIRACLE MINUTE YOU ARE DOING TODAY TO RAISE MONEY FOR THIRST PROJECT! YOU ARE CHANGING AND SAVING LIVES!! God bless, Damon
Declaimer: Please don't interpret my comments as negative comments about a particular show choir groups that are competing here. I love all show choir groups and I would hate it if my comments were interpreted as a comment to put down another show choir. I just make predictions for fun.
With that out of the way here are my predictions:
Mixed Division
The GC through 4RU spots are going to be pretty close
GC: Carroll"Minstrel Magic" (BV)(BSD)
Carroll: Out of all the groups that are confirmed for this competition I feel like Carroll has the best chances at winning here. They have been so constant during this season. Plus they have beaten groups like; Center Groves, Waubonsie Valley, Decatur, ETC and Ross, and these feats alone makes me pretty confident that they are going to get GC. But, I can't count out any of these groups.
1RU: Bonita Vista"The Music Machine"
Bonita Vista:Update: I just got done watching their show and all I have to say is "I am a new fan". First of all they used two of my most favorite show choir song ever: "Hellfire" and "Bottom of The River". Secondly, I love (I love show choir with dark themes) their theme, The Salem Witch Trials. It just works so well as a show choir theme. Plus the song that they chose for this theme are just hmm! they're just they are so great. The video that I saw them in was kind of choppy but, when it work, man there vocal are one of my favorites this year. And their choreography too. Now that I have seen their show I believe that they have a pretty great chance at beating Carroll for GC.
2RU: Grosse Pointe South"Pointe Singers "
Grosse Pointe: One of my favorite groups this year. I love everything about them; their opener is one of my favorite novelty number this year (Mostly when they use their umbrella as wheels on a car), the onstage car during their second number, the tap dancing, and super fun closer. I placed them here because I personally think that there theme show just may push them ahead of the other groups. But, I can see them moving up to 1RU or GC spot.
3RU: Uniondale"Rhythm of the Knight" (BC)
Uniondale: I know a lot of people will not agree with this placement for Uniondale but, I personally believe that Uniondale has great competition here. But, I have them here just because I haven’t their 2019 show yet to compare with the other groups. So, I with this see the GC-4RU being flip-flop betweens these three great groups.
4RU: Huntington North“Varsity Singers” (BB)
Huntington North: I just got done watching a video of this group and wow. I never expected that amount of vocal quality from a group that size before. And now I see why they took best voice from Loveland at Shelbyville. The only thing I believe that may hold them back is their choreography. But with vocals like that, I feel like they will place really well here.
5RU: Jenks“Trojanaires”
Jenks: I haven’t seen their show yet so, I truly don’t know where to place them.
It's all good not knowing much about California groups, especially given how quiet their discussion topics are. I'm certainly no expert on CA choirs, but want to point out that while the "big three" get most of the attention (and they are fantastic), it's worth noting a few of the other advanced mixed groups have an out of state presence as well. The Hart "Sound Vibes" have attended an out of state comp almost every year these past several years. Carlsbad "Sound Express" was also slated to attend SCN one year, recently, but I don't believe they were ultimately able to attend. Brea Olinda "Masquerade" has done FAME Finals a couple times. Bonita Vista "The Music Machine" also used to have an every-other-year sort of routine with out of state contests, though it has been since 2014 for them. So in general, those are other examples of CA choirs competing alongside other regions outside of the big three.
I understand that watching the mixed groups shows are fun but can you watch the Single-Gender division and gives us notes like the mixed groups as well? I always find it frustrating that the people who do predictions give big reasons why a certain mixed group will place better than others but never for the Single-Gender. Viking Volume, Select Sound, and Tower Belles all have shows up on Youtube from at least one competition show. So can you pretty please redo the Single-Gender divisions predictions once you've watch all the shows and can give us reason why you have each show placed where they are. Thank you!
New Single-Gender Predictions
Declaimer: Please don't interpret my comments as negative comments about a particular show choir groups that are competing here. I love all show choir groups and I would hate it if my comments were interpreted as a comment to put down another show choir. I just make predictions for fun.
This is going to be a pretty close single gender division.
GC: Grosse Pointe South“Tower Belles” (BV)(BC)
Grosse Pointe South: I know that I had Carroll “Select Sound” in the GC spot at first but, now after watching and checking the past placements of each group I think that GPS “Tower Belles” may win here just because of their past placements and their show. And I would love to add that I “LOVE!” everything about their show. I love the style of their opener, I love how they change their whole character in the second number, I love their costumes, and I also love their tone through their show. But, besides my own opinion, they have beaten some great women groups like Chesterton “Drifters” (Who got GC at Janesville Craig by beating Totino Grace’s Mens Group) and Norwell “Knights Star” (Who just an HOA Competition against Loveland “Allure”). That is why I placed them here.
1RU: Carroll“Select Sound”
Carroll: I like their Thumbelina theme show. The costume fit the theme perfectly. I really love the glitter that they use and the wings don’t distract from the show but instead enhances the show by a lot. I love their second number, mostly because of their fun and unique choreography. It just might be in the video but in my opinion, (please take it with a grain of salt because I have no real merit in judging show choir) I feel like their color is a bit too young and that is why I GPS over them. But, I still believe that they can take that GC placement.
2RU: Huntington North“Viking Volume” (BB)
Huntington North: For some reason, this show reminds me of show choirs in Wisconsin for some reason. But besides that point, I really like this show. I love their closer and opener costumes and I like their choreography it fits them really well. The only thing that I believe that may hold them down from the getting the 1RU spot is that they don't have a theme show (This might not even matter though). But, I can still see them taking the 1RU.
Best of Luck to all competing groups
Thank you very much!! and the show theme for us is more cowboy's sweetheart. Our choreographer said that we needed a show closer to home and we live in Indiana so it was cowboy themed. Well cowgirl :D
I think the part about Viking Volume reminding you of a show from Wisconsin sounds completely right. They definitely have a show like that this year. I feel like most groups in Indiana have a themed womens show. Even schools like franklin central, who doesn't really do themes, has a themed womens choir. Love in 2017 and I'm pretty in 2018.
I think Bonita Vista could also place first as well since they’re probably one of the best and probably the most consistent Tier 2 group in California. They were in Tier 1 in 2016 but moved down ever since but who knows, last year they were almost undefeated and they won first place at Los Alamitos this year. I think they will at least be in the top three. I saw a video of them on youtube from their John Burroughs competition and they were really good. I do think that it will be a close call between them and Carroll. I wish the best of luck to all the groups performing!
I had the chance to see Jenks "Trojanaires" show and I would defiantly say they have a worthy set. I feel like scores between Carroll "Minstrel Magic", Grosse Pointe "Pointe Singers", Jenks "Trojanaires" and Bonita Vista "The Music machine" these scores will be close,
but also I never sleep on Uniondale "Rythem of the Night" because I absolutely live for them but I cant determine how their set will compare, because I have not seen them this year.
For fun(this probably wont make any sense lol but Yolo)
GC: Carroll Minstrel Magic/ Bonita Vista/ Grosse Pointe South (Best Vocals) (also leaning more towards them of course Alumni here lol)
1st runner up: Carroll (Best Theme)
2nd RU: Bonita Vista/ Jenks / Uniondale (maybe haven't seen their show)
3rd RU: Uinodale (Best Choreography)
4th Runner up Huntington North